NEW YORK & SINGAPORE -- iHeartMedia, the No. 1 podcast network globally according to Podtrac announced its plan to launch a slate of multi-language podcasts from high-profile hosts across the fast-growing Asian market. The push into the Asian Pacific (APAC) region will be in partnership with Mammoth Media Asia, who will spearhead the partnerships and production on the ground.

The Asia Pacific podcast market was valued at US $373.57 million in 2024 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 30.2% to $3.1 billion value from 2024 to 2031, driven by rising internet penetration and increasing digital content consumption in China, Japan, India and South Korea according to Cognitive Market Research.

The influence of Asian culture has been growing rapidly around the world and the initial podcast slate will focus on presenting high-profile talent from across the Asian entertainment industries ranging from K-pop, to Bollywood, to China’s hip-hop scene and beyond. The podcasts will highlight the most exciting personalities, cultural trends and issues from the region featuring categories in music, entertainment, sports, wellness and business, and will be available in Asia and on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are heard. The slate is expected to launch in June 2025.

In addition to producing original podcast content in Asia, this new partnership will also focus on extending the reach of iHeartPodcasts current catalogue of 800+ shows across Asia. iHeartMedia will work with premiere distribution platforms and partners to bring iHeartPodcasts extensive range of engaging and influential podcasts to the widest Asian audience, unlocking opportunities for advertisers and brands throughout the region.

“We’ve seen the strong growth of the Asian markets - both on a domestic level and with influence across global markets and we are excited to partner with Mammoth Media Asia to launch the first-ever slate of iHeartPodcasts developed in Asia,” said Conal Byrne, CEO of the iHeart Digital Audio Group. “We believe that together with Jonathan and Jay, we can develop groundbreaking audio content in Asia that can reach audiences around the world.”

Jonathan Serbin, co-founder of Mammoth Media Asia said: “We are thrilled to partner with iHeartMedia to develop and distribute world-class podcasts. Asian culture - including music, movies, TV drama, food and fashion — have become a major influence across the globe. We are excited to work with top talent and compelling storytellers to share their tales and experiences with a worldwide wide audience.”

Jay Faires, co-founder of Mammoth Media Asia added: “Podcasting across Asia has been growing rapidly over the last five years. It’s already a major force in the domestic audio markets and will continue to expand. We believe that by partnering with iHeart and accessing their unparalleled assets, distribution capabilities, reach, analytics and advertising network, we can become a significant part of this growing industry, enabling podcasters from Asia to access a worldwide audience.”

iHeartPodcasts produces thousands of shows across a wide variety of genres, that span every category from business, sports, spirituality and technology to entertainment, family, comedy and true crime - and everything in between.

Mammoth Media Asia was recently founded and launched by Jonathan Serbin and Jay Faires. Jonathan Serbin was most recently Co-President of Asia and CEO of Greater China of Warner Music, overseeing eleven counties / territories across the region and was formerly Head of Asia for Billboard. Jay Faires oversees The Wellness Agency (TWA) which works with the most important founders in wellness helping them scale their companies globally. He is a seasoned media executive and entrepreneur in the content business having successfully sold companies he founded and built to both The Walt Disney Company and Lionsgate.